This offseason, Lady Vols basketball head coach Kim Caldwell added a significant piece to her coaching staff. To replace the departing Gabe Lazo, Caldwell hired Florida State’s Bill Ferrara to help her get the program back on track.
What makes the pairing so interesting is a similar offensive mindset. Both have been known to light up the scoreboard while playing fast and running in transition. While the speeds match, there are some differences in the philosophies.
Ferrara met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the marriage of ideas. He noted that Caldwell likes to use passes to push the ball down the floor, while he’s typically relied on dribble penetrations and kickouts.
“She loves to advance the ball with the pass,” Ferrara said. “You guys know I had TaNiya Latson at Florida State, we’re going to advance it by just ramming it down your throat and dribbling all the way to the rim and then spraying. So I’d say that’s the main difference. She’s more of a five-out system and I’ve always been more four-out to five-out hybrid.”
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The goal is all the same, though. Both coaches are looking to figure out a way to maximize shot attempts while limiting them on the other end. In that effort, Ferrara said that there are conversations about limiting turnovers offensively while still playing at the desired pace, getting up a lot of threes and finding ways to get to the free-throw line.
Caldwell, Ferrara and the rest of the coaching staff made sure to find personnel who would fit this mentality, too. Through the transfer portal, the Lady Vols signed 13 players to join the two incoming class of 2026 recruits. The additions all fit the mold. They’re plenty capable of causing havoc on defense, running in transition and there’s a number of proven shooters.
This comes after a rough ending to the 2026 season. Tennessee lost eight-straight games to end the season, including a Round of 64 loss in the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed to NC State. Now, as Ferrara noted, the program has its sights set on not just returning to the tournament but making a run.
